Working with a credit counsleor will help you pay off debt fast and manage your personal finances more efficiently. Our free credit advice is personalized to your unique situation.
The details on your credit report, like your credit score, directly impact your everyday financial well-being. Your credit score influences your ability to secure the best interest rates on loans, helps you qualify for housing, rentals or a mortgage, and even plays a role in obtaining employment for certain types of positions.
Your credit report can influence your ability to find housing, employment and secure a loan. Knowing your score and understanding your report are the first steps towards your financial health. Our certified financial counselors will guide you through your credit report, answer questions, and give personalized guidance towards improving your score.
Learn about the process of getting a bank account with BankOn. Learn all there is to know about opening a bank account and the responsible usage of the bank account.
Speak with a Debt Coach to review all your options and discuss the best strategies for getting debt relief. We’ll point you in the right direction, whether that’s DIY debt relief or a debt program, like Debt Management Plans or Debt Settlement.
Debt is common and manageable. Our certified financial counselors are standing by ready to answer your questions, provide guidance, and help you reach your financial goals. Speaking to one of our certified debt counselors is completely free. Our counselors will be able to review all of your options for getting out of debt and guide you toward the best path forward.
A financial counselor will help you determine whether a Debt Management Plan is your best path toward effectively managing debt levels. Once you enroll in a plan, we become your personal advocates, working closely with you and your creditors to pay off debt in a timely fashion.
Debt settlement is a process that allows you to pay off debt by paying a single lump sum that is lower than the total amount you owe. Settlements are achieved through negotiation between lenders and consumers or a third-party debt settlement company. Our counselors will help you assess if debt settlement is the best debt relief option for you.
Credit.org is an Executive Office for United States Trustees ‘EOUST‘ approved agency. Our experienced financial counselors work with people in all stages of their financial life, including the challenging decision of bankruptcy. Our cousnelors can help you obtain the certificate you need to file for bankruptcy or discharge debts in bankruptcy.
Credit.org offers expert student loan counseling to help you manage your education debt. Our certified counselors guide you through loan repayment options, consolidation, and strategies to alleviate student loan stress. Get personalized assistance to navigate your student loan journey and find the best solutions for your financial goals.
Whether you are current on your mortgage payments, experiencing a financial hardship, or ready to begin your homeownership journey, take action and reach out to a HUD Certified Housing Counselor today!
Work with our HUD Certified Counselors who will assess your current mortgage needs and help guide you to the options that are best suited for your specific situation.
If you are 62 or older, have equity in your home, and are considering a Reverse Mortgage loan, it is important to speak with one of our HUD Certified Counselors to understand the benefits and risk of this product.
Our award-winning counselors are here to help prepare you to own a home. We provide education, resources, and guidance to make your home buying process efficient, stress-free, and rewarding.
Don’t start your home buying journey without getting the facts first! Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or someone looking to get back into home ownership, you will need a well laid plan. Our HUD-approved Home Buyer Classes will help you navigate the home buying process and equip you with useful tools & resources for purchasing a home.
If you are seeking guidance regarding renting, call us to speak with one of our financial counselors who will help you develop a budget, create a detailed action plan, and who can provide you with local, statewide, and national resources.
Community Affordable Loan Solution™ is designed to create homeownership access for clients who have never envisioned themselves as a homeowner. Credit.org has partnered with Bank of America to assist first-time homebuyers with pre-purchase counseling and homebuyer education.
Credit.org has partnered with Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta to provide your pre-purchase or owner-occupied credit counseling.
Helping San Diego County, Riverside County & San Bernardino County residents CLIMB to financial freedom!
For our armed forces, it’s not always easy to achieve financial security. Military personnel face special challenges that others don’t. Military life makes it difficult for spouses to pick up outside employment, and veterans may find it difficult to convince private-sector employers that their military service is applicable in other job fields.
We hope all current and former military service members will take advantage of the professional services available to help them establish and improve their credit, become homeowners, and balance their household budgets.
Getting military and veteran credit counseling
Navigating Credit Solutions for Armed Forces and Veterans
Current members and veterans of our military are a treasured resource, and our nation’s gratitude toward our veterans is celebrated every November 11th – as well as the rest of the year. It’s very important to us that both veterans and active military members know that there are many options available to them for help with their debts, credit, and personal finances:
Free Credit Counseling for Veterans– Working with a credit counselor can help service members and veterans pay off debt and manage personal finances. Free credit counseling includes advice on credit and debt management, as well as a personalized financial action plan.
VA – The Veterans Benefits Administration offers special programs for veterans and their beneficiaries. They also offer home loans, life insurance, education, and access to health benefits for veterans.
GI Bill– The VA-administered GI Bill offers benefits for eligible service members seeking education and training assistance.
Military Saves– Our friends at America Saves sponsor Military Saves, designed to motivate and support military families to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth.
Military OneSource – Military OneSource is funded by the Department of Defense to help members of military families get tax services, employment help, and assistance with relocation and deployment.
Budgeting and Financial Planning for Military Families
Creating a Military-Friendly Budget
Creating a budget for military families requires special considerations due to unique aspects of military life. Income variability from deployments and base transfers must be factored in, along with allowances like BAH. Deployments can change household expenses, requiring adjustments in budgeting. Emergency funds are crucial, given the unpredictability of military life.
Using resources such as military credit counseling and veterans' financial assistance is crucial for effective financial planning. These services help in managing debts, savings, and investments, considering military-specific challenges. Long-term planning, including retirement through the Thrift Savings Plan and other savings vehicles, and managing child care and education costs, are also essential. A dynamic, well-planned budget is key to navigating the financial complexities of military life.
Exploring Additional Support For Military Families
Charities and other sources of aid:
Red Cross – The American Red Cross offers financial assistance for military families, which can include funds for emergency travel, burial expenses, emergency food & shelter, and more.
Veterans of Foreign Wars – The VFW offers financial grants through their Unmet Needs program, designed to help America’s military families who have run into unexpected financial difficulties.
Operation First Response – Since 2004, Operation First Response has helped almost 23,689 families of wounded and disabled veterans with emergency financial needs.
Operation Home Front – Operation Home Front offers help to military families with financial assistance, housing programs, and caregiver support
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) – DAV helps veterans get the benefits they’re entitled to. They help over a million vets and their families every year.
USA Cares – USA Cares is a veteran and family support system, a national nonprofit organization that helps veterans and military families facing hardships related to their military service.
Hope for the Warriors – Hope for the Warriors offers “a full cycle of care to restore self, family, and hope” to service members and family members, as well as families of service members we have lost.
Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes – The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes serves to help the wounded veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn, as well as their families.
Air Force Aid Society – AFAS offers emergency assistance to Air Force families and service members through no-interest loans and grants.
Army Emergency Relief – AER provides assistance to soldiers and families with scholarships, grants, and interest-free loans.
Navy-Marine Corp Relief Society – The NMCRS offers assistance for urgent financial needs through financial counseling, grants, and interest-free loans to active-duty or retired sailors and marines, eligible family members, surviving spouses, and reservists on active duty.
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance – CGMA helps members of the Coast Guard and their families, including active-duty and retired personnel, civilian employees, Reservists, Auxiliarists, and commissioned officers of the Public Health Service.
Local programs – Your city, county, or state might have local aid programs for current and former military personnel. For example, in our home base of Southern California, we have STEP, or Support The Enlisted Project. The Red Cross, Military Onesource, or your local military aid society might be able to help you connect with programs near you.
Concluding Thoughts: Financial Empowerment for Military Families
We are committed to helping every veteran and military service member achieve healthy credit and a debt-free life. It's crucial to seek professional help and use the many resources available for financial freedom. Our goal is to empower military personnel and their families with the tools they need for financial stability. There's a wealth of support through programs, benefits, and charities, including VA benefits and Military Saves. We encourage you to use these resources and remember, assistance is always available, both online and in person, to help guide you to a secure financial future.
Melinda Opperman is an exceptional educator who lives and breathes the creation and implementation of innovative ways to motivate and educate community members and students about financial literacy. Melinda joined credit.org in 2003 and has over two decades of experience in the industry.